Conceptual model of attractiveness as a factor influencing quality of care and outcomes of residents in nursing home settings

Individual differences in vocal size exaggeration

The human voice carries socially relevant information such as how authoritative, dominant, and attractive the speaker sounds. However, some speakers may be able to manipulate listeners by modulating the shape and size of their vocal tract to exaggerate certain characteristics of their voice. We analysed the veridical size of speakers’ vocal tracts using real-time magnetic resonance imaging as they volitionally modulated their voice to sound larger or smaller, corresponding changes to the size implied by the acoustics of their voice, and their influence over the perceptions of listeners. Individual differences in this ability were marked, spanning from nearly incapable to nearly perfect vocal modulation, and was consistent across modalities of measurement. Further research is needed to determine whether speakers who are effective at vocal size exaggeration are better able to manipulate their social environment, and whether this variation is an inherited quality of the individual, or the result of life experiences such as vocal training.

The positive impact of preceptors on recruitment and retention of RNs in long-term care

Nearly 100,000 nursing positions in long-term care (LTC) are vacant on any given day, and the nurse turnover rate exceeds 50%. In addition, recruitment of and orientation programs for new nurses are costly for facilities. Preceptor programs have been successful in recruitment and retention of acute care nurses, but no recent literature addresses preceptor programs in LTC. The Expanding the Teaching-Nursing Home Culture in the State of Illinois project explored the development of a preceptor program to fit the LTC environment in which an RN was chosen to serve as the preceptor and mentor and orient all new nurses. Although the LTC environment presents social and economic challenges, a structured preceptor program allows nurses new to LTC to meet these challenges. By retaining nurses, residents receive continuity of care. This strategy for recruitment and retention of nurses results in professional growth, competent and stable staff, and a stronger bottom line.

Ravishing or ravaged: women's relationships with women in the context of aging and Western beauty culture

We undertook this narrative analysis study to explore the complexities of women's relationships with other women within the sociocultural milieu of beautyism and ageism. Using an open-ended narrative framework, four focus groups of women living in different regions throughout the U.S. were conducted and analyzed to identify thematic categories within and across group sessions. We discuss four of the six key themes discovered in response to the primary research question: How does beauty culture shape women's experiences of aging and their relationships with women of all ages? We conclude that Western idealized beauty standards exert a divisive impact on women's relationships with each other across the life span, negatively affecting their socioemotional well-being, especially in old age.

Listening in thin places: ethics in the care of persons with Alzheimer's disease

Healthcare professionals may see prolonging life and use of scarce resources as futile if the quality of life of persons with Alzheimer's disease is deemed to be poor. Thus, nurses and other healthcare providers need to question traditional assumptions of quality of life. This article presents a phenomenological study of ethical concerns related to quality of life as described by persons with Alzheimer's disease, family caregivers, and professional caregivers. The theme of "Creating a Quality of Life Through Connected Lives" calls forth an ethics of respect for the individual experience and its connecting relationships.